Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved exercise machine and more specifically it relates to an exercise machine with variable resistance system for selecting one of many different resistance forces being applied to an exercise implement.
Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Exercise is human physical activity that enhances or maintains overall physical health of an exerciser. Exercise is performed to increase muscle strength, improve balance, improve cardiovascular efficiency, and to aid in weight loss.
Cardiovascular exercises are intended to improve circulatory and respiratory performance and health by raising the heart rate for an extended period of time, increasing oxygenation and calorie burn. Within the fitness industry, cardiovascular exercise is often referred to as “cardio”. Typical cardio exercise equipment found in gyms includes treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical trainers, and stair climbers. Cardio exercises performed without the aid of specialized apparatuses include running and swimming.
Strength exercises are intended to increase the ability for muscles to perform more work. The exercises are practiced consistently over weeks or months. Strength exercises are typically performed in short but high intensity muscle bursts, rather than the long duration of cardio exercises. Strength training is intended to break down the muscles targeted by the exercise. The subsequent repair of muscle tissue after training is achieved by increased localized blood circulation that delivers nutrients and oxygen, both of which promote repair and growth of the muscle beyond its size and strength prior to exercise.
Strength exercise machines are apparatuses or devices providing for fixed or adjustable amounts of resistance, and which are used during physical activity to enhance the strength or conditioning effects of the performed exercises.
Myriad apparatuses have been made available by many manufacturers; each apparatus intended to work one targeted muscle or group of muscles. For instance, a bicep curl machine is intended to exercise only the bicep muscles, while a chest press machine is intended to primarily exercise the chest muscles, but to a lesser degree, shoulder and triceps muscles.
Strength exercise apparatuses may incorporate as the resistance source free weights, for example, barbells, dumbbells or stacked weights, resistance springs or bands, or position the exerciser so as to use the exerciser's own body weight as the weight resistance source.
Contemporary methods of exercising against a workload are many, and well known to those skilled in the art. One method of creating a direct vertical workload is an exerciser's application of force to lift a dead weight from a resting position to a higher vertical position. Another method of creating a horizontal workload is to redirect a vertical workload along a horizontal vector using a pulley or mechanical linkage. Yet another method of creating a workload in any direction is to apply a force opposite the force axis of a variable resistance means, such as a spring or elastic resistance band.
Still another method of creating a workload is to require a continuous cycle of lifting one's own body weight. For instance, a person exercising on a motorized treadmill is required to increase or decrease the elevation, through which they lift their body with each step, and/or to increase or decrease the speed or length of stride in order to maintain their relatively stationary position upon the moving treadmill belt. Increasing the pitch of the treadmill belt further causes the exerciser to increase their work by lifting their body weight higher with each step in order to maintain their position on a treadmill.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that most all exercise apparatuses provide for continuous or cyclical exercising in one primary direction. For instance, an bicep curl machine is operated by an exerciser repeatedly flexing their bicep to raise their lower arm against a prescribed weight, then by slowly releasing the bicep muscle flex, allows the re-extension of their lower arm to return the weight to the starting point, then repeat the cycle for a prescribed number of times.
On the other hand, a triceps apparatus works opposite to a bicep curl apparatus in that the primary work is performed by flexing the triceps to extend the forearm to substantially align with the upper arm while working against a weight or resistance. By slowly relaxing the triceps, the weight is returned to its starting point as the lower arm assumes a decreasing angle relative to the upper arm.
As can readily be understood in the foregoing descriptions, exercise machines are intended to deliver a workload in one direction only. The primary work cycle on a bicep machine is achieved when the hand working against the resistance approaches the shoulder, while the primary work cycle on a triceps machine is achieved when the hand working against the resistance moves away from the shoulder. Therefore, a bicep machine does not appreciably exercise triceps, and a triceps machine does not appreciably exercise the biceps.
Another form of exercise produces a mixed benefit of combining cardio and strength training. Known to those skilled in the art, circuit training is a form of exercise that requires the exerciser to continuously work against resistance for a prolonged period, as previously described in cardio exercises, yet also incorporates a routine of large number of exercises that are performed in a rapid sequence, without any appreciable rest between each exercise.
One variation of circuit training is sometimes referred to as interval training wherein the exerciser generally performs the same exercise for a period of specific duration, similar to cardio exercising, but varies the resistance level throughout the routine period to substantially increase the exerciser's workload for short duration, high intensity bursts, then decrease the workload during a moderate recovery period whereby the cardio exercise intensity is maintained until a subsequent burst. The exerciser repeats this high/low intensity cycle until the end of the training period.
A disadvantage of attempting to perform circuit or interval training on a variety of exercise apparatuses by immediately and without an appreciable rest period, moving from one apparatus for one exercise, to another apparatus for a subsequent exercise is that in a typical gym environment, there will be another exerciser already working out on the next apparatus in the sequence, forcing the circuit exerciser to wait until the apparatus is available. This breaks the intended benefits of the continuous cycle of circuit training.
Another disadvantage of performing circuit training using multiple apparatuses in sequence within a gym environment is that even if the next apparatus is vacant, the proper weight or resistance level must be re-set for each exerciser. In many instances, this is time consuming, confusing, and the proper weight setting cannot be readily determined. Again, the break in the circuit sequence reduces the intended advantages of the circuit training session.
A disadvantage of attempting to perform a variation of circuit training upon a single exercise apparatus is that an exerciser must stop the exercise routine, most often by having to dismount the apparatus in order to change the existing resistance settings to new settings. The exerciser then re-mounts the apparatus and re-establishes proper positioning before continuing a new exercise at the new resistance setting. However, after a short period of performing a first exercise, often merely a minute or two, the exerciser would have to again dismount and change the resistance settings for a second exercise—then repeat the entire process with many additional exercises included in the particular routine. It often takes more time to change the resistance settings than the period of time the exerciser will actually perform the new exercise at the new setting.
Those skilled in the art will recognize the illustrated exercise machine to be visually similar to a traditional exercise machine known to those in the Pilates industry, but will immediately understand the functional and commercial advantages of the present invention as previously unknown and unavailable on modern fitness machines or Pilates apparatuses.
Those skilled in the art of the Pilates Method of fitness will appreciate the attributes of exercising upon a Pilates apparatus, namely the ability to perform smooth movements that help build core muscles while increasing flexibility and balance. Pilates apparatuses can be simply described as a substantially rectangular base frame, two parallel tracks extending substantially the longitudinal dimension of the base frame and attached thereto, and a slidable exercise platform that rides along the parallel tracks. The slidable platform is attached to one end of the apparatus by one or more resistance springs. By attaching one or more bias members between the base frame and slidable platform, an exerciser can produce work by moving the carriage in a direction opposite the end to which the springs are attached. By attaching more springs between the frame and carriage, an exerciser may create quite large resistance loads against which to exercise.
By maintaining a relatively high resistance level during an exercise, then quickly attaching or detaching one or more springs prior to the next exercise, and continuing the process between exercises throughout the workout session, an exerciser may realize benefits similar to the cardio and strength training achieved with traditional circuit training.
It will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art that an exerciser would typically be required to stop their exercising, dismount the apparatus, mentally compute how many bias members of what resistance levels they would have to attach to achieve the resistance level that would be reasonable for the anticipated exercise. Then, the exerciser re-mounts the apparatus, tests the resistance level by performing the anticipated exercise. If the resistance level is too great or too small, they stop, dismount, and make any modifications to the resistance level by removing or attaching one or more springs.
This process is imprecise, and requires the exerciser to repeatedly mount and dismount the apparatus in order to establish the correct resistance setting. As can readily be seen in FIG. 1, the bias members are necessarily exposed to the exerciser so that one or more of the bias members may be attached or detached to the rollable platform. Whether located laterally to the parallel rails, between the parallel rails, or a combination of in between and laterally to the rails, the bias members create obstacles to safely mounting or dismounting the apparatus, and are inherently injury-causing. It is therefore well known to those skilled in the art that most injuries in Pilates occur during mounting or dismounting, so this process also increases the risk of injury.
Although one advantage of using a Pilates apparatus for a circuit-type of training is that the exerciser will never have to break their workout session by waiting for another exerciser to vacate the apparatus, the major disadvantage is that the exerciser must still stop their workout between exercises to make spring changes. With many apparatuses providing for six or more springs of different resistance levels, it is often confusing for an exerciser to determine the resistance level for their next exercise, and then add up one combination of two or more springs of various resistance levels to finally arrive at their intended resistance level. The break in the exercise routine allows the heart rate to drop, and a single confused exerciser typically holds up the progress of an entire Pilates class while they are trying to figure out their ideal spring tension.
Still further, since Pilates classes are comprised of an instructor teaching a series of exercisers to many exercisers performing the same exercise on their respective apparatuses, each time the class is instructed to perform a new exercise, the entire class stops exercising for as long as it takes the most inexperienced exerciser to determine their proper resistance level for the exercise. This is disruptive for the class, the delays thereby causing the class time to run over the allotted time period in order to complete the full allotted exercising time. Contemporary Pilates apparatuses therefore increase the likelihood of injury, and are exceedingly difficult for an exerciser to determine the proper resistance levels and quickly make corrections without class disruption, all of which are commercially detrimental to the operations of the gym or Pilates studio.
Owners of gyms and Pilates studios know well that when classes are delayed, the class must either run longer than scheduled to make up for workout time, or have to stop at the scheduled time, disadvantaging other exercisers by limiting the workout time they have had during the period. Delays disrupt the classes; cause the exercisers to become frustrated, and ultimately limiting the number of classes that can be conducted during the day resulting in lost revenues for the gym or studio.
As can readily be seen in the immediately preceding example, the necessity of stopping the interval routine to dismount the apparatus to change resistance settings breaks the work cycle, thereby significantly diminishing the intended benefits of the interval training.
Still another disadvantage of all of the exercise machines and Pilates apparatuses just described is that the resistance is unidirectional. In other words, none of the machines provide for an exerciser to immediately change the direction of the resistance force.
As an example, the rotating belt of a motorized treadmill is intended to move such that an exerciser, facing the front of the machine, can walk or run at different speeds, on a flat, or “uphill”. Reversing the rotation of the rotating belt would require the exerciser to begin walking or running backwards, and possibly “downhill”. Not only would this be an unnatural exercise, reversing a treadmill belt during exercise would be dangerous, and would likely be the source of many injuries.
As another example, a pull down machine to exercise the latissimus dorsi muscles provides a seat upon which an exerciser sits, and an overhead bar attached to a cable. The cable is threaded through a pulley on the machine, and is attached to weights. When an exerciser pulls down the overhead bar to work the latissimus dorsi or back muscles, the downward direction of their pull is reversed through the pulley, and they are actually pulling the weights that are attached to the cable upward from the floor. On the other hand, there is no provision to allow the exerciser to switch resistance direction so they can push upward on the bar and lift the weights to exercise the shoulders as would be provided by a shoulder press machine. Pushing upward provides no work resistance.
Those skilled in the art will immediately recognize the deficiencies just described, and will understand that a sufficiently large number of machines to allow exercising of each major muscle group housing many machines requires leasing a large and expansive area for a functional gym or Pilates studio. They will appreciate that one machine capable of providing resistance for a wide variety of exercises allows for more economically efficient operations.
Further, fitness experts and gym operations will appreciate the commercial advantages of a new and improved exercise apparatus that provides for immediate and precise changing of the resistance level without considerable interruption to a workout routine, and a system of immediately reversing the direction of resistance to increase the number of muscles and muscle groups that may be exercised without dismounting the apparatus, thereby obviating the need to make complicated changeovers to the apparatus, or to move to another machine to perform a different exercise.
Because of the inherent problems with the related art, there is a need for a new and improved exercise machine with variable resistance system for selecting one of many predetermined exercise resistance forces being applied to an exercise implement.